About Me

This is my eleventh year as a library media specialist at Norton High School. Prior to that I taught science for five years at Southeastern Regional, but started my post-college life doing chromosome analysis in the cytogenetics lab at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. When I'm not at school I enjoy spending time with my husband and two boys.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Kite Runner Chapters 18-21

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Anonymous
said...

Amir is dreaming that he is witnessing the Taliban man executing Hassan. Amir feels he is the man with the herringbone vest because he feels that because of his past actions towards Hassan, he inevitably led to his death.

While in Kabul, Amir awakens from a disturbing dream that leaves him screaming. In his dream, he pictures the last moments of Hassan's life. He sees Hassan, bound and blindfoled, being forced to his knees in the middle of the street. As the man in the herringbone vest fires the gun, Amir realizes that this man was himself. This image horrifies Amir but causes him to recall his thoughts earlier of how he could have changed the future. He believes that if he had not sent Hassan and Ali away then they would both be alive and maybe even in America with himself. Amir blames himself for the deaths of Ali and Hassan; thus, Amir realizes that he was indeed the man that killed Hassan, that he was the man in the herringbone vest.

On pages 239-240 Amir has a dream where Hassan is outside in the street blindfolded and with his hands tied. He is muttering "For you a thousand times over." Then Amir sees a man kill Hassan, like what really happened to Hassan. At the end, Amir realizes that he was "the man in the herringbone vest."

Amir sees himself in the dream as "the man in the herringbone vest" because he feels that he indirectly killed Hassan. If he had not forced Hassan and Ali to leave the house then they would have been with himself and Baba the whole time and then Rahim Khan would not have searched for them to come back to the house, setting up for them to get killed.

In his dream, Amir sees himself as the man in the herringbone vest because he feels as though he killed Hassan. If he had not have caused Ali and Hassan to leave he feels that Hassan and Ali would have still been with him and Baba in America. Ali would not have stepped on the land mine and Hassan would not have been at Baba's house alone with his Hazara family to be shot by the taliban. So, to symbolize the fact that Amir was the reason Hassan ever ended up back in Kabul to be there for the Taliban to kill in the first place, Amir dreams that he is the taliban killing him; because he feels as though he did kill him.

All in all, Amir feels as though if he had not of ran away from the situation with Hassan and Assef after the kite tournament, he would not have been so guilty to see and be around Hassan; which would have meant that Hassan and Ali would have never left and Hassan would probably be alive today.

Amir is the one who murdered Hassan because it is partially his fault that Hassan was killed. If Amir had not been a coward, he would not have felt guilt and would not have made Hassan leave his house. Next, had Amir not framed Hassan, Hassan might have come to America with Baba and Amir, instead of going to Pakistan. This would have prevented Hassan from being killed by a Talib. Although this is the situation, people can not say "what if this" or "what if that," because, if Amir's family had been honorable from the beginning, Hassan would never have been born and none of this would have happened. There is no point in looking back in the past and wonder what would or could have happened if something had been changed.

Amir's dream involves envisioning Hassan being murdered in the streets of Kabul. He sees the details of the execution and at the end he realizes that he is the man in the herringbone vest who shot Hassan. Amir sees himself as the man who murdered Hassan because when the entire situation is broken down, he essentially did kill Hassan.

Amir feels guilty; perhaps if he had not driven Ali and Hassan from their house Hassan might not have been killed that day. Perhaps they would have gone to America with Baba and Amir. Whatever the case may be, Amir feels that Hassan's death is related to how Amir caused their leave.

Amir is still very guilty about how he treated Hassan when they were younger. I think that hearing how Hassan had unconditional love for Amir even after how he treated him really effected Amir. Dreams have a way of showing your true emotions. Amir's guilt for what happened to Hassan was showing through this dream. Amir had the same hatred as the men in the Taliban that killed him, he agreed that because Hassan was a hazura, he was less than him and that hatred is what killed Hassan.

The dream that Amir has on page 239/240 is a very strange and interesting one. In the dream, the death of Hassan is shown in much detail how Amir believes it must have happened. Hassan is both blindfolded and in a black cloth. Since the day of Hassan's attack, Amir has had to deal with his great amount of guilt for not helping his friend and brother. If this guilt is not enough, Amir finds himself with even more guilt. He starts to blame the deaths of Ali and Hassan on himself. If he did not drive the two out of his presence, maybe the two could have gone to America with him and Baba or at least had a prosperous life in Afghanistan still. The dream shows how Amir feels he is responsible for the death of Hassan by being "the man in the herringbone vest"(240). Amir will have to live with his many decisions against Hassan's benefit for the rest of his life and he does not do something to regain his honor. This why he decides to find Hassan's son in Kabul.

Amir's dream is about Hassan's murder. He feels like it is all his fault that Hassan was murdered because if he never lied to his father and said that Hassan stole from them, they would not have left his house. He also feels like Hassan and Ali would have went to America with Baba and Amir if he did not tell on Hassan. Overall, Amir sees himself as the man in the herringbone vest because he feels like it is all his fault that Hassan was killed. If only he spoke up the day that Hassan was being raped, Hassan probably never would have been murdered and Amir would not feel guilty.

Amir feels gulity for Hassan's death, becuase if Amir had not driven Hassan and Ali out of the house, then Hassan would have not died that way and would still be alive. Ali and Hassan would have went to America with Baba and Amir and had better lives.

Amir sees himself as the man in the vest because he feels like he is somewhat responsible for Hassan's death. He feels that if he never forced them to leave, it wouldn't have happened. Hassan and Ali would have been with Baba and Amir. This is why he sees himself as the person who kills Hassan.

Amirs dream is about the death of his friend Hassan. Amir sees himself as the man in the herringbone vest because he feels like it was his fault that Hassan was murdered because Amir didnt speak up when Hassan was raped, and then he lied and said Hassan stole from him, and then he never spoke up when they were going to leave. He feels like because he did all these things he it is his fault that Hassan is dead. Also he feels like Hassan and Ali would have gone with them to america if he had told the truth.

Amir is dreaming of what happened to Hassan. He sees himself as tha Taliban about to execute Hassan. The action is then carried out in the dream and he is murdered. He sees himself as "the man in the herringbone vest" because of guilt. He feels that had he stopped what happened int he past, Hassan would be alive. He feels guilt for not doing anything alll those years. Amir feels that it is his fault that Hassan is dead. So even though he didnt litteralli kill Hassan, he feels like he did.

Amir saw himself as the man in the herribone vest because he has a guilt filled conscience. He feels as if he is responsible for Hassan's death; he kind of is in a way. If he hadn't sent them, Hassan and Ali, away in the first place, Hassan probably wouldn't have been in such a situation. Amir doesn't want to admit it, but he subconsciously feels guilty for what happened to Hassan.

Amir dreams this because he has a hidden fear that he is the result of all hat has happened to Hassan and he feels terrible for it. Amir's deepest burden is living with the fact that he made small choices that led to devastating events. He is guilt stricken and in his mind he is convinced that Hassan's death was due to his own selfishness. Though this admission may not be out in the open, it is obviously hidden in his inner most thoughts and they are bothering him because he knows who fault it truly is.-krista